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Blancpain

Blancpain was founded in 1735 and belongs to the Swatch Group (Breguet, Omega, Longines, Swatch). For many years during the 20th century Blancpain was out of business and did not sell any watches. In the 1980s Blancpain was revived and today enjoys considerable success among collectors.

A somewhat famous marketing slogan is that Blancpain has never produced quartz watches and it never will. Every Blancpain timepiece (usually thirty to forty per day are being manufacture) is entirely made by one person, the so called watchmaker. The Blancpain 1735 watch is one of the most complicated watches ever made, its features include a tourbillon, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, split chrono – and together are the base for a grand complication. Blancpain watches are also popular with sports fans and divers.

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Reaching New Depths: A History of the Dive Watch

This article was originally published in the January/February 2022 Issue of the WatchTime print magazine.  For many collectors, the history of the dive watch starts in 1953 with the introduction of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner. Divers, however, already had to rely on water-resistant watches, decades before the commercialization of two of the...

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Aug 8, 2024 by Roger Ruegger

It’s Time – WatchTime New York 2024 Tickets On Sale Now!

After an incredible show in 2023, WatchTime New York, the premier collector’s event in North America, is set to return to Manhattan from October 18th to 20th, 2024. WatchTime New York 2024 promises to be even more spectacular, with the show marking the 25th anniversary of WatchTime and bringing together the world’s finest watchmakers, timepieces,...

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Jun 20, 2024 by WatchTime

Blancpain Goes Full Gold with the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronograph Flyback and Quantième Complet Phases de Lune

Following the introduction of the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet fully clad in ceramic in June, Blancpain now adds two more new executions to this storied diver’s watch collection, this time in gold. The Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune and Chronographe Flyback models feature a case and bracelet meticulously crafted from 18K red gold and beautiful...

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Aug 8, 2024 by Sabine Zwettler

FEATURE

Dive Watches in Depth: A Dive Watch FAQ

"How water-resistant does it need to be?" "How does a depth gauge work?" We answer your FAQs about dive watches: learn about water resistance, diving bezels, depth gauges, and more in this feature from the WatchTime archives.

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Jul 2, 2024 by WatchTime

Blancpain Goes Full Ceramic With the Bathyscaphe

Blancpain has just unveiled a new Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de lune, featuring a blue sunburst dial and – a first for the collection’s most complicated model – a black 43.6-mm ceramic case (Ref 5054-0140-01S). The green (Ref. 5054 0153 01S) and black dial versions (Ref. 5054 0130 01S) are also available with black ceramic...

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Jun 27, 2024 by Roger Ruegger

One of a Kind: Six Watches Made From Proprietary Gold Alloys

What’s even more exclusive than yellow, white or rose gold? A gold alloy that’s only available from a single brand. Here are six watches made of unique gold alloys from the WatchTime Archives. Lime Gold (Montblanc)Montblanc relies on its own gold color, which has a green shimmer and is therefore named “Lime Gold.” It debuted...

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Jun 16, 2024 by Ruediger Bucher

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

10 Highlights in the History of the Dive Watch

In the beginning, dive watches were pure tools that helped keep divers on time and alive. Today they’re something else: fashion statements, conversation pieces, rugged companions for a trip to the beach or pool. Our Timeline: "Dive Watches Through the Decades," traces the history of the dive watch from its start in the 1920s, with the invention of the first truly water-resistant cases, to 2014.

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May 12, 2024 by WatchTime

FEATURE

How Green is My Watch? How Watch Brands Are Embracing Sustainability

Sustainability is the topic of the hour. But how committed is the watch industry to ethical and ecological responsibility? We explore several interesting solutions in this feature from the WatchTime archives.

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Mar 31, 2024 by Maria-Bettina Eich

Blancpain: The Fifty Fathoms in 42 mm is Here

Blancpain finally unveiled the long-awaited 42 mm-diameter Fifty Fathoms powered by the 1315 inhouse caliber with 5-day power reserve. After having presented its first case of this size in stainless steel on last year’s Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 limited edition (and the Scuba Fifty Fathoms in Bioceramic), the Swiss brand is now adding...

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Mar 21, 2024 by Roger Ruegger

PORTFOLIO

Splash! A Plunge Into the Colorful World of Watersports Watches

Take the plunge with us into the colorful world of water sports in our latest dip into the WatchTime Archives! Here you can find professional instruments with appealing technologies, styles, and prices. In this article, we present divers’ watches without complex additional functions (e.g., chronographs) because the watches listed here are designed to focus your...

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Mar 20, 2024 by Alexander Krupp

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

10 Milestone Moments in the History of the Wristwatch

Today it is common for a man to wear a watch on his wrist, but it was a different story around 100 years ago. World War I, which started in 1914 and ended in 1918, brought to the battlefield much that was new — airplanes, mustard gas, military tanks. It also brought something new to...

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Mar 18, 2024 by WatchTime

Green Like a Swiss Forest: Blancpain Drops a New Variant of its Villeret Perpetual Calendar

The quaint village of Villeret, the birthplace of Blancpain, bestows its name upon the brand’s most classic collection. Deeply rooted in the manufacture’s rich heritage, these watches reflect the brand’s technical prowess and encapsulate its design principles. Their clean lines, lucid dials, and slender double-stepped cases convey the essence of Blancpain’s elegance, while their movements...

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Mar 6, 2024 by Sabine Zwettler

In The Spotlight: Blancpain Villeret Carrousel Répétition Minutes Chronographe Flyback

While these days it’s the Fifty Fathoms collection at Blancpain that garners the most attention, the brand has so much more to offer than its dive collection, alone. Among them, the beautiful Villeret collection is the embodiment of an elegant and timeless dress watch, but also houses a few very nice complex watches, such as...

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Feb 21, 2024 by Martin Green

Blancpain and Swatch Announce All-Black Version of the Scuba Fifty Fathoms “Ocean of Storms” (With Live Photos)

Last year, Blancpain and Swatch made literal waves with the Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms, with the affordably-focused series based upon Blancpain’s legendary Fifty Fathoms diver’s watch introduced in 1953. Presented in lightweight, yet resistant Bioceramic, it was offered in five different colors, each one dedicated to one of the oceans on Earth. Now...

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Jan 10, 2024 by Sabine Zwettler

Showing at WatchTime New York 2023: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3

Watch enthusiasts and horology aficionados are in for a treat at WatchTime New York 2023, where Blancpain, the iconic Swiss watchmaker, will showcase its latest— the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3. This limited-edition timepiece is a tribute to the brand’s historic MIL-SPEC model, representing a significant milestone in the world of diver’s watches. Dive...

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Oct 17, 2023 by Caleb Anderson

Meet the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms “70th Anniversary Act 3” in Bronze Gold (With Video)

2023 marks the year Blancpain chose to adequately celebrate the 70th anniversary year of its famous diver’s watch. After the introduction of the 42,3-mm Fifty Fathoms “70th Anniversary Act 1 Series I to III” (each limited to 70 pieces) in January, which was clearly based on the current design of the Fifty Fathoms, and the...

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Sep 23, 2023 by Roger Ruegger

Sponsored: Bid on the “Time to Indulge” Blancpain Lot for Oceana’s New York Gala

Between now and September 19, WatchTime readers have an opportunity to make a splash for ocean conservation while also securing two exceptional timepieces from Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, Blancpain. Here’s how: for its upcoming New York Gala, the international ocean conservation group Oceana is holding a live auction for a “Time to Indulge” lot featuring...

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Sep 12, 2023 by WatchTime

Hold Your Breath: The Blancpain X Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms is Here (With Live Photos)

After the sensational global success of the MoonSwatch, Swatch has now teamed up with its sister brand Blancpain to create a Bioceramic version of none other than the brand’s legendary Fifty Fathoms. Coming September 9, five Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms models will be made available at selected stores, and they are all inspired by the...

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Sep 6, 2023 by Roger Ruegger

It’s Official: Blancpain and Swatch Have Teamed Up for a Collab

After the first campaign advertisements had shown up in newspapers last Friday, the global watch community didn’t need long to figure out that the shape of the crown featured in said ads could only mean one thing: after the MoonSwatch with Omega, it seemed most likely that it was now time for a collab between...

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Sep 4, 2023 by Roger Ruegger

WatchTime New York 2023 Tickets on Sale Now

Following what was one of WatchTime New York’s biggest shows to-date in 2022, the esteemed collector’s event returns to Manhattan once again this year from October 20th to 22nd. WatchTime New York 2023 will bring together many of the world’s most impressive watchmakers and timepieces alongside countless enthusiasts, collectors, and industry experts. The multi-day event...

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Jun 16, 2023 by WatchTime

Blancpain Celebrates New Ladybird Colors Timepieces in New York’s Historic Flower District

On Thursday evening, May 11, Blancpain presented its latest timepieces designed especially for women in a beautiful rooftop venue filled with colorful floral creations, a perfect complement to the deeply colored variations offered by the two new additions to the Ladybird Colors collection. The venue was located in New York City’s historic Flower Market District,...

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May 14, 2023 by Dara Hinshaw
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